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U.S. Services, Plus Latin America Access

Customer	PanAmSat Corp., Greenwich, Conn.
Spacecraft	Hughes 601
Launch    Date    Vehicle    Site	Dec. 14, 1995 Atlas IIA Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Orbital Slot	95 degrees W
Contract life	8 Years

Galaxy III-R, operated by PanAmSat Corporation, is used to provide video and telecommunications services throughout the United States. The satellite's Ku-band capacity can also be switched to provide coverage of Latin America.

The satellite is a version of the three-axis, body-stabilized Hughes 601 model built by Hughes Space and Communications Company (HSC) in El Segundo, Calif. It was launched on a Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA rocket Dec. 14, 1995, from Cape Canaveral, Fla. HSC is now known as Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc.

Galaxy III-R replaced the smaller, C-band-only Galaxy III spacecraft, a Hughes 376 model also built by HSC. Galaxy III-R carries 24 C-band transponders for coverage of the 50 United States, primarily for distribution of video programming. The 24 Ku-band transponders are used for telecommunications services and for direct-to-home television services. The coverage area of the Ku-band payload is switchable, so initially those transponders were used by Galaxy Latin America® to deliver DIRECTV programming to Latin America and the Caribbean. With the deployment of Galaxy VIII-i in early 1998, Galaxy III-R's Ku-band coverage area was switched to the United States. Among the users is DIRECTV, Inc., to deliver special interest programming to U.S. subscribers, and Hughes Network Systems.

Galaxy III-R is one of five Hughes 601 and HS 601HP (for high-power) model satellites ordered for the Galaxy fleet, primarily to replace spacecraft reaching the end of their service lives. PanAmSat merged with Hughes Communications Galaxy in 1997, making the combined PAS/Galaxy fleet the largest owned and operated by a commercial company. PanAmSat maintains two operations control centers, one in Long Beach, Calif., and the other in Ellenwood, Ga., outside Atlanta. Teleports are in Ellenwood; Napa and Fillmore, Calif.; Castle Rock, Colo.; Homestead, Fla.; and Spring Creek, N.Y.

All Hughes 601-now Boeing 601-spacecraft use the same basic bus design, allowing Boeing to realize efficiencies gained by production volume, tooling investments, and quantity buys. The 601 was introduced in 1987 to meet anticipated requirements for high-power, multiple-payload satellites.

Boeing Satellite Systems is the world's leading manufacturer of commercial communications satellites, and is also a major supplier of spacecraft for communications and space exploration to the U.S. government and builds weather satellites for the United States and Japan.

GALAXY III-R SPECIFICATIONS

PAYLOAD

C-band	24 active (6 spare) 16-w SSPAs
Ku-band	24 active (6 spare) 63-w TWTAs

POWER

Solar    Beginning of life    End of life    Panels	4.8 kw 4.5 kw 2 wings, each w/4 panels silicon cells
Batteries	32-cell NiH

PROPULSION

Liquid apogee motor	110 lbf (490N)
Stationkeeping thrusters (bipropellant)	12 x 5 lbf (22N)

DIMENSIONS

In orbit	L, solar arrays: 86 ft (26 m) W, antennas: 24 ft (7.3 m)
Stowed	H: 16 ft 2 in (4.9 m) W: 8 ft 10 in x 12 ft 1 in (2.7 m x 3.7 m)
Weights    Launch    In orbit    (beginning of life)	6760 lb (3069 kg) 3760 lb (1709 kg)